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How-To Geek

Our latest edition of WIG is filled with news link coverage on topics such as 10 things to do after installing Ubuntu 12.10, the FTC’s offer of a $50,000 cash bounty for technology to help eliminate robocalls, the new malware variant spreading across Skype, and more.

Weekly News Links

Firefox Marketplace launched on AndroidMozilla has launched a preview version of its integrated Firefox Marketplace in Firefox for Android. The feature is now available in the Aurora development version of Firefox for Android and includes a number of what Mozilla calls “showcase apps” that users can install and test.

10 Things To Do After Installing Ubuntu 12.10After the thrill of downloading it, and the jagged nerves from installing it, you may be wondering what to do next with your freshly installed copy of Ubuntu. That question is especially true if you’re new to Ubuntu or haven’t used it for a while. So, to help get you settled, OMG! Ubuntu! has listed their top 10 post-install must-dos…

Shuttleworth: Secret development of 13.04’s “Tada” featuresIn the wake of the release of Ubuntu 12.10, Mark Shuttleworth has announced a new style of development for Ubuntu 13.04, the next major version of the Linux distribution. Referring to “a few items with high ‘tada!’ value that would be great candidates for folk who want to work on something that will get attention when unveiled,” Shuttleworth said that there will be a new process where the new features will not be talked about “until we think they are ready to celebrate”.

Ubuntu Tweak Stops Development, Claims No Longer FreePopular Ubuntu configuration utility Ubuntu Tweak has officially ended support for its long-running project. Ubuntu Tweak has been a mainstay application on newbie machines since the days of Dapper Drake, and between then and now has gain a lot of respect within the community regardless of being merely a front-end for already trivial tasks.

Apple updates Java for older Mac OS X – kills browser pluginFollowing Oracle’s CPU patch day, in which a large number of Java vulnerabilities were fixed, Apple has released an update for Java 6 on Mac OS X 10.6.8, 10.7 and 10.8. The timely update brings Apple’s Java 6 in line with Oracle’s Java 6 Update 37 but also removes the Apple-provided Java applet plugin from all web browsers.

Mozilla adds sweetener to JavaScriptA Mozilla project, Sweet.js, is setting out to sweeten JavaScript development by giving users hygienic macros to work with. Hygienic macros are macros that will not expand into anything that will interfere with the other code in a program, for example, by not capturing variables.

Kill the bots: FTC puts a bounty on the heads of robo-telemarketersThe race against robots is on: the Federal Trade Commission is offering $50,000 cash to anyone that can come up with a way to eliminate the insidious telemarketing robocall, it announced this past Thursday. While it may take a sizable workload, a good kill-switch for the spammy pre-recorded messages could put an end to the annoying overtures on the phone to enter a new sweepstakes, qualify for a new credit card, or get a new energy provider.

AT&T Starts Six-Strikes Anti-Piracy Plan Next Month, Will Block WebsitesA set of leaked internal AT&T training documents obtained by TorrentFreak reveal that the Internet provider will start sending out anti-piracy warning notices to its subscribers on November 28. Customers whose accounts are repeatedly flagged for alleged copyright infringements will have their access to frequently visited websites blocked, until they complete an online copyright course. It’s expected that most other participating ISPs will start their versions of the anti-piracy plan on the same date.

Microsoft and Secunia warn of FFMpeg vulnerabilitiesMicrosoft has provided details of several critical vulnerabilities in older versions of FFmpeg’s open source video codec tools and libraries; these could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a system by getting users to open a specially crafted media file.

Encryption found insufficient in many Android appsResearchers have discovered catastrophic conditions when analysing Android applications that use encryption: more than 1,000 of the 13,500 most popular Android apps showed signs of a flawed and insecure implementation of the SSL/TLS encryption protocol.

Dutch proposal to search and destroy foreign computersOn 15 October, the Dutch ministry of Justice and Security proposed powers for the police to break into computers, install spyware, search computers and destroy data. These powers would extend to computers located outside the Netherlands. Dutch digital rights movement Bits of Freedom warns for the unacceptable risks to cybersecurity and calls on other countries to strongly oppose the proposal.

Zero-day attacks are meaner, more rampant than we ever thoughComputer attacks that target undisclosed vulnerabilities are more common and last longer than many security researchers previously thought. The finding comes from a new study that tracked the number and duration of so-called zero-day exploits over three years. (Study finds average zero-day attack lasts 312 days. Some last two years-plus.)

The Scrap Value of a Hacked PC, RevisitedFrom Brian: A few years back, when I was a reporter at The Washington Post, I put together a chart listing the various ways that miscreants can monetize hacked PCs. The project was designed to explain simply and visually to the sort of computer user who can’t begin to fathom why miscreants would want to hack into his PC. I recently updated the graphic to include some of the increasingly prevalent malicious uses for hacked PCs, including hostage attacks — such as ransomware — and reputation hijacking on social networking forums. This post is well worth sharing with people you know.

Some Computer Manufacturers May Disable Windows 8’s Windows Defender – ESETWhile Windows 8 comes with the refreshed version of Windows Defender, the one that provides full anti-malware protection, some new PC buyers won’t get to use it, says Aryeh Goretsky, researcher at antivirus software firm ESET. The reason is as simple as it could be: computer manufacturers usually install a trial of a third-party security software on every sold PC and whenever a consumer purchases the full product, they also get a commission for the sale.

How to improve your Android securityThe risks to Android phones and tablets from malware — or software written with ‘malicious intent’ — are rising rapidly. These threats are multiplying faster than gremlins in a swimming pool, so how do you protect your device from evildoers’ dirty deeds?

TinyHacker Links

Windows 8 Step by Step – Book Review & GiveawayIf you are looking for a good book about Windows 8, the Windows Club recommends Windows 8 Step by Step, from Microsoft Press. They published a pretty good review about it and are also giving away 5 digital copies of the book.

AVG Internet Security 2013 – Is it worth buying?AVG launched their 2013 version of Internet Security and it features a new interface and support for Windows 8. But what about the quality of their products, do they provide a good experience and good protection? Learn more from this review.